Mental health, legalized gambling, and the National Archives
The National Archives building in Washington. Credit: Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Don't legitimize mental health days
Mental health days for school kids is a well-intended and thoughtful idea ["Get youths help for mental illness," Editorial, Jan. 9]. However, the possibility of this being abused and used for the wrong reasons is sadly quite reasonable. For example, a parent might send in a note saying the family has been feeling overwhelmed and needs to get away. So they'll take a vacation to Disney World so they all feel better.
Unfortunately, parents already pull their children out of school for vacations, long-distance family visits and the like. Let’s not legitimize it and make it legal for others to do the same. From academic to social-emotional issues, school is where kids need to be.
Phil Cicero, North Massapequa
The writer is a retired superintendent of schools for Lynbrook Public Schools.
Adding a casino is picking our pockets
I guess I’m old school. To me, legalized gambling picks pockets under the guise of the state making license fees and capital investments while the location is chosen by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board ["State to begin casino bidding for downstate," News, Jan.5]. Talk about a bureaucracy created by government. It’s the state living with blindfolds. In this case, it’s a tax with a different name. There’s only a limited amount of money in people’s pockets. Food, transportation and clothing costs more nowadays. Isn’t this going to fundamentally change the character of the community?
All the senior housing springing up on Long Island is an open market. It would be so easy to transport busloads of them to the slots.
Michael Kosinski, East Hills
Probe Archives for lack of oversight
There should be an investigation into how the National Archives and Records Administration track documents they’re supposed to be protecting ["DOJ: Possibly classified docs were in Biden office," News, Jan. 10]. The documents belong in their possession. Who oversees them?
Steve Birkeland, Bayport
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